Genetic Traits You’re Likely To Get From Your Parents

Ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Wow, I really got that from my mom” or “That’s 100% my dad”? You’re not wrong. While we get half our DNA from each parent, certain traits are more likely to come from one over the other—and some of them might surprise you.

Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense, with no science degree required.

Things You Can Inherit from Your Mom

1. Energy and Some Health Conditions
   You get something called mitochondrial DNA only from your mom. It helps your body make energy. If there’s a problem with it, it can lead to issues like tiredness, memory problems, or muscle weakness.

2. Eye Problems
   If you or your brother have trouble seeing colors or are really nearsighted, that could be from your mom—especially if it runs in the family.

3. Hair and Skin
   Hair texture (curly, straight), hairline shape, and even things like varicose veins or how oily your skin is might come from her.

4. Your First Period or Menopause (for girls)
   When you start or stop your period often lines up with when your mom did.

5. How Smart You Are
   Research shows your mom’s side has a bigger influence on your intelligence than your dad’s. You’ll usually fall within 15 points of your mom’s IQ.

6. Sleep Habits
   If you’re a night owl or struggle with sleep, you might get that from her too.

7. How You Age
   Some studies suggest the speed at which you age—like when wrinkles show up—can be influenced by your mom’s genes.

8. How You Handle Weight
   Struggle to gain or lose weight like your mom does? That could be a trait you got from her, though lifestyle still matters a lot.

9. Focus and Attention Issues
   If you have ADHD or similar issues, it could be linked to your mom’s genes.

10. Emotions and Mood
    Daughters in particular often take after their moms when it comes to handling emotions or reacting to stress.

Things You Can Inherit from Your Dad

1. Eye Color and Hair Texture
   Dad’s genes help decide your eye color and whether your hair is curly, wavy, or straight.

2. Height
   Tall like your dad? His genes play a big part in how tall you grow (though your mom’s genes matter too).

3. Personality Traits
   Love adventure? Take more risks than others? That could be from your dad—some genes from him are linked to bold or thrill-seeking personalities.

4. Certain Health Risks
   You may inherit a higher risk for things like heart disease or certain cancers from your dad’s side of the family.

5. Odd Physical Traits
   Stuff like earlobe shape, finger length, or even webbed toes sometimes come from dad.

6. Y Chromosome Traits (for sons)
   If you’re a guy, you get your Y chromosome only from your dad. That means some male-only traits and conditions pass down through him.

7. Behavior and Bonding
   Some mental and emotional traits passed from dad may influence your personality and how you connect with people—especially with him.

So What Does All This Mean?

Even though genes play a big role in how you look, act, and feel, they’re not the whole story. Your habits, lifestyle, and environment matter just as much.

Still, knowing what you might have gotten from each parent is kind of like looking at the cheat sheet for you—why you do certain things, or why you look a certain way.

Next time someone says, “You’re just like your mom” or “You got that from your dad”—they might be more right than you think!